What to do.
Tuesday, April 2
BeccaHosts has the Duke It Out Trivia League at the Duke of Wellington at 7 p.m.
The Princess Cinema has a screening of They Shot the Piano Player at 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, April 3
The Ontario Bike Summit is in town and you can grab tickets to Building More Than Real Estate: A fireside chat with Scott Higgins. Join them as Diane Freeman, engineer and City of Waterloo councillor, talks with Scott about creating supportive public spaces that inspire community confidence and joy, designing cities built for the human spirit–and the role active transportation plays in it all. 5:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. at GIGI. $45 + taxes & fees, includes cocktail reception.
Cambridge Toastmasters Club is celebrating 50 years of helping people build their public speaking and leadership skills. Join them on April 3 to be inspired as they celebrate fifty years of developing better leaders and communicators. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. at the Cambridge Newfoundland Club, 1500 Dunbar Rd., for the buffet dinner and networking opportunities. The keynote speech will be delivered by Roger Caesar, from Toronto, a 2021 World Championship of Public Speaking finalist.
KPL has a free screening of The Tall T (1957) at 7 p.m. in the Central Branch.
Thursday, April 4
COMPASS Refugee Centre is hosting an open house on Refugee Rights Day. It’s a day of learning, community, and celebration with interactive exhibits, guest speakers, and opportunities to connect with refugees and advocates in our community. 675 Queen St S Unit 230, Kitchener.
Whether you want to learn more about your favourites or discover something new, the St. Jacobs Market Food Tour is your guide to exploring the delectable delights of Ontario’s best local food market. The Stroll Walking Tours team offers tours every Thursday in April.
Some of Toronto’s top comedians are here for an evening of laughs with the Spice Up Your Life Comedy Tour. Bonggun B. Kim, Freddy Jan, and Harvasp Khatow have performed on Just For Laughs, Roast Battle, Toronto Fringe and more—now see them live in person at The Kitchener-Waterloo Little Theatre.
Wave Maker Craft Brewery has a Music Bingo night at 7:30 p.m.
Dive into the vibrant history of Dancehall and its significance to Kitchener at KPL’s Rhythm Roots: A Dancehall Delight at the Library at 6:30 p.m.
Friday, April 5
The KW Wine & Food Show is a two-day celebration of food and drink from across Ontario, featuring offerings from local restaurants, breweries, cideries, and distilleries. Guests can indulge in craft beers, cocktails, wines, and delicious food tastings. There will also be live cooking demonstrations, wine pairing seminars, live music, and themed lounges to explore. Tickets include a souvenir tasting glass and entry to all the festivities.
Can we have your acca-tention? The UW A Cappella Club has its end of term concert on Friday, April 5 and Saturday, April 6 at the UW Theatre of the Arts. The concert features ACE, The AcaBellas, The Musical InterDudes, The Unaccompanied Minors, The Water Boys and In Full Colour performing stunning sets with only the sounds of their voices. This two-night concert will be filled with lots of great music, food for purchase, and awesome entertainment. Invite your family and friends to join a night of aca-fun!
Join the UW Chamber Choir for a centuries spanning program of music for the evening hours at In the Night We Shall Go: Chamber Choir concert at 7:30 p.m. at St. John the Evangelist Church (23 Water St., Kitchener).
Rusty Nail Comedy has two shows on Friday. Ashwyn Singh is the headliner at the Lancaster Smokehouse at 7:30 p.m. Over at Morty’s Pub, you can check out headliner Patrick Hakeem, also at 7:30 p.m.
The Hub has River Town Saints with Coty Robinson & Elyse Saunders at 7 p.m.
Saturday, April 6
Grab your spoons, it’s time for the April Edition of the Apollo’s All-You-Can-Eat Cereal and Cartoons. The cartoon lineup is always a mystery, but expect to see monsters, sci-fi, sleuths, superheroes and all kinds of 2D silliness, both faves and obscurities spanning the ’60s through the ’90s.
Join Idea Exchange in the Preston Gallery for the opening reception of Undergrowth. Explore light and shadow, meet the artists, learn to make your own paper cutouts and see what shadows you can create in the Mere Phantoms Maker Room, and learn about the worlds that live beneath our feet. 1 to 4 p.m.
This year marks the 60th edition of the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival – Canada’s largest single-day festival of things syrup! Celebrate with thousands of your friends and enjoy over 100 vendors, maple syrup and taffy tastings, and an exciting family fun area. You can also take a sugar bush tour to see how maple syrup gets from trees to your table.
Dance the night away for an amazing cause at Button Factory Arts' 90s Dance Fundraiser! The community art centre is celebrating 30 years of shows, exhibitions, workshops, and more. DJ King Kadee will spin 90s hits for you to get your groove on, and there will be a candy table and cash bar.
Pinch Cabaret will be back at TWB for another entertaining evening of Improv, Sketch Comedy & Stand-Up at Together We're Boisterous Comedy Show starting at 7 p.m. Tickets are $11/$22/$33 - pick the option that suits you best! This tiered pricing structure ensures that tickets remain affordable for a wider audience.
The UWaterloo Choir invites you to come to hear a wonderful evening of song and celebration with Ad Astra: University Choir Concert. This 60 voice choir is directed by Liska Jetchick, and accompanied by Nicole Simone.
If you couldn’t be two places at once on Friday, you can catch Rusty Nail Comedy headliner Patrick Hakeem at The Crazy Canuck DTK at 7:30 p.m.
If you missed My Son the Hurricane at Bestival 2022 or UN Jefferson at Bestival 2023, then Maxwell’s has you covered with both bands on Friday, April 6! Doors at 7:30, music at 8 p.m.
Speaking of Bestival, they’re having a fundraiser convert with Amanda Kind hosted by Jay & Jesse from Kitchener Famous Podcast. Croatian Parish Hall, 180 Schweitzer St. at 5 p.m.
The Band From Planet X, Sunshine Express, Painting Pelicans play The Yeti at 8 p.m.
The Hub has Shrek Rave Featuring Anne Tique Doll & Ultraviolet at 10 p.m.
Katherine Fischer & York Street Thought Process play Emmanuel United Church at 7 p.m.
Sunday, April 7
The UWaterloo Jazz Ensemble winter concert is Sunday, April 7 at 2 p.m. at Conrad Grebel University College Great Hall (140 Westmount Rd N.). Following at 7 p.m. is the Instrumental Chamber Ensembles concert.
Monday, April 8
Do you have a teenager looking for meaningful volunteer opportunities? Or just want them out of the house on a PD day. Send them to the gardens at rare as they work together to prepare Springbank Farm for the 2024 growing season.
The Great North American Eclipse happens on April 8, and THEMUSEUM has a special day of programming to learn about this once-in-a-lifetime event. This day of “eclipse programming” is included with your regular admission fee, so you can enjoy various activities and learn more about this fascinating astronomical phenomenon.
Idea Exchange in Cambridge has a Solar Eclipse Party from 1 to 4 p.m. with kids activities, livestream video, and have an opportunity to view the eclipse safely.
Hey, Blue Jays fans! The Gaslight District is throwing its first BYO… tailgate party of the season to celebrate the Toronto Blue Jays’ Home Opener against the Seattle Mariners! Cheer on the Jays on Canada’s biggest screen as you enjoy this free, rain-or-shine event. Bring your own food, drinks, grills, decorations, and most importantly, your game day spirit! Leave the car at home – District Square will buzz with fellow fans, but open to anything else you need for the ultimate tailgate experience.
Bearface Johnsons x Princess Twin present the Art, Design, and Architecture series screening of Make Me Famous at 7 p.m. The film gives an intimate portrait of what it was like to be an artist in N.Y.C. in the 1980s.
Ways to get involved.
TBD
What to read.
“We can't afford not to do it” — Kitchener looks at allowing up to four units on single residential lots (Bill Jackson, The Record)
How a car-less, high school idler became a millionaire entrepreneur race car driver (Robert Williams, The Record)
Perseverance and diversity keep Waterloo Region food scene cooking (Andrew Coppolino, The Record)
Cycling makes a city more livable, advocates say (Catherine Thompson, The Record)
Things to Do in Waterloo Region in April (Me, Explore Waterloo)